Three Finger Brown was the first relief pitcher to get a win in the Fall Classic. There had been a relief appearance in 1903, a save in 1906. But no wins. That all changed in game one of the 1908 World Series.
Brown's Chicago Cubs faced the Detroit Tigers, who had someone you all have heard about. Ty Cobb. Not exactly the team you'd expect to win against, even in relief. It was not only a rematch from the previous year, but Chicago's third straight Fall Classic appearance.
Ed Reulbach, the Cubbies starter, was on the mound in the bottom of the 7th. Chicago had a nice comfortable lead of 5-1. Hmmmm, reminds me of game six of the 1993 World Series. 5-1 lead into the 7th.
Ty Cobb woke up Detroit by singling to lead it off. He did not steal second, but Claude Rossman's single got him to third. German Schaefer went down on strikes. Boss Schmidt grounded out for the second out, but the Georgia Peach crossed home with the Tigers' second run of the afternoon. Schmidt was also the last batter Reulbach would retire.
Red Downs hit a ground rule double to score Rossman and pull the Tigers to within two runs of the Cubs. When pitcher Ed Summers singled to right to score Downs from second, the lead was down to just one, 5-4. Detroit had plenty of life!
Reulbach was through for the day. Orval Overall, the only pitcher to fan four batters in one inning in the Fall Classic, was on the hill now for Chicago. And trying to protect the lead. Perhaps even trying to get a save? Matty McIntyre was the first batter Overall faced and Orval hit him to move the tying run into scoring position. Charley O'Leary ended the drama by flying out. But Detroit had touched home three times in the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers kept right on coming. Sam Crawford led off with a walk. In came Mordecai "The Finger" Brown. The Georgia Peach laid down a bunt, but reached first anyways on an error by Frank Chance at first. When Claude Rossman singled, Crawford scored. Cobb then came in behind him on a throwing error by second basemen Johhny Evers. Claude made it to second for good measure. How's that for you? An inning where two-thirds of the Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance double play combo made errors!
The Tigers now had the lead, 6-5 and were looking for more against Brown. Germany Schaefer got the sac bunt down and Rossman was now on third. Brown then got the next two batters out, but the damage was done. Three Finger would lose thing game unless something could be done!
Something was done in the top of the 9th by the Cubs. Evers grounded out. But then the Franks, Schulte and Chance, each hit singles. When Harry Steinfeldt also singled, the bases were loaded with just one out. Solly Hofman hit the fourth straight single to score both Franks, and suddenly, Brown was now the pitcher of record to win this as Chicago was back on top, 7-6. But the Cubbies did not stop there!
Joe Tinker showed he was more than just part of a famous double-play combination with a bunt single to score Steinfeldt with some insurance. Hoffman and Tinker prevented any double play possibilities by pulling of a double steal. And that proved to be crucial.
Johnny Kling hit a single that scored Hoffman and Tinker, making it a 10-6 Chicago lead. Brown hit a sac bunt to move Kling to second, but Jimmy Sheckard flied out to Crawford in center. The inning was finally over.
Today, as in then, Brown would stay in. After all, not a save situation now, is it?
Brown fanned the first batter, but then walked McIntyre. When pinch hitter Ira Thomas got a single, the tying run was hitting behind the next batter. The next batter was Sam Crawford. Behind him, the tying run. And I mean Ty!
Crawford flew out to center, but McIntyre took third. Cobb would bat, but would not be representing the tying run. Cobb hit it back to Brown, who tossed to first basemen Frank Chance to end it. Chicago had won game one of the 1908 World Series. They would go on to win the 1908 Fall Classic in just five games.
Tinker, Evers and Cobb had two hits each on this day, so the next day's headlines would have talked about that. Or maybe the double steal by the Cubs in the top of the 9th. Mordecai Brown went to the Hall Of Fame, too. It was more for his starting pitching than for his relief work. Yet, as unlikely as it might sound, Brown also goes into the record book as the first relief pitcher to win a game in the Fall Classic.
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Brown's Chicago Cubs faced the Detroit Tigers, who had someone you all have heard about. Ty Cobb. Not exactly the team you'd expect to win against, even in relief. It was not only a rematch from the previous year, but Chicago's third straight Fall Classic appearance.
Ed Reulbach, the Cubbies starter, was on the mound in the bottom of the 7th. Chicago had a nice comfortable lead of 5-1. Hmmmm, reminds me of game six of the 1993 World Series. 5-1 lead into the 7th.
Ty Cobb woke up Detroit by singling to lead it off. He did not steal second, but Claude Rossman's single got him to third. German Schaefer went down on strikes. Boss Schmidt grounded out for the second out, but the Georgia Peach crossed home with the Tigers' second run of the afternoon. Schmidt was also the last batter Reulbach would retire.
Red Downs hit a ground rule double to score Rossman and pull the Tigers to within two runs of the Cubs. When pitcher Ed Summers singled to right to score Downs from second, the lead was down to just one, 5-4. Detroit had plenty of life!
Reulbach was through for the day. Orval Overall, the only pitcher to fan four batters in one inning in the Fall Classic, was on the hill now for Chicago. And trying to protect the lead. Perhaps even trying to get a save? Matty McIntyre was the first batter Overall faced and Orval hit him to move the tying run into scoring position. Charley O'Leary ended the drama by flying out. But Detroit had touched home three times in the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers kept right on coming. Sam Crawford led off with a walk. In came Mordecai "The Finger" Brown. The Georgia Peach laid down a bunt, but reached first anyways on an error by Frank Chance at first. When Claude Rossman singled, Crawford scored. Cobb then came in behind him on a throwing error by second basemen Johhny Evers. Claude made it to second for good measure. How's that for you? An inning where two-thirds of the Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance double play combo made errors!
The Tigers now had the lead, 6-5 and were looking for more against Brown. Germany Schaefer got the sac bunt down and Rossman was now on third. Brown then got the next two batters out, but the damage was done. Three Finger would lose thing game unless something could be done!
Something was done in the top of the 9th by the Cubs. Evers grounded out. But then the Franks, Schulte and Chance, each hit singles. When Harry Steinfeldt also singled, the bases were loaded with just one out. Solly Hofman hit the fourth straight single to score both Franks, and suddenly, Brown was now the pitcher of record to win this as Chicago was back on top, 7-6. But the Cubbies did not stop there!
Joe Tinker showed he was more than just part of a famous double-play combination with a bunt single to score Steinfeldt with some insurance. Hoffman and Tinker prevented any double play possibilities by pulling of a double steal. And that proved to be crucial.
Johnny Kling hit a single that scored Hoffman and Tinker, making it a 10-6 Chicago lead. Brown hit a sac bunt to move Kling to second, but Jimmy Sheckard flied out to Crawford in center. The inning was finally over.
Today, as in then, Brown would stay in. After all, not a save situation now, is it?
Brown fanned the first batter, but then walked McIntyre. When pinch hitter Ira Thomas got a single, the tying run was hitting behind the next batter. The next batter was Sam Crawford. Behind him, the tying run. And I mean Ty!
Crawford flew out to center, but McIntyre took third. Cobb would bat, but would not be representing the tying run. Cobb hit it back to Brown, who tossed to first basemen Frank Chance to end it. Chicago had won game one of the 1908 World Series. They would go on to win the 1908 Fall Classic in just five games.
Tinker, Evers and Cobb had two hits each on this day, so the next day's headlines would have talked about that. Or maybe the double steal by the Cubs in the top of the 9th. Mordecai Brown went to the Hall Of Fame, too. It was more for his starting pitching than for his relief work. Yet, as unlikely as it might sound, Brown also goes into the record book as the first relief pitcher to win a game in the Fall Classic.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 03 Jun. 2014.
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